


Two hot cocoas, please

by NoMatterTheOceans



Series: Feysand Holiday Fluff Fest [14]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:48:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21764029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoMatterTheOceans/pseuds/NoMatterTheOceans
Summary: Part of my Feysand Holiday Fluff Fest!!Prompt: i’m ready to pull out my hair because of winter finals when you offer me a free hot cocoa if i use your flashcards to quiz you for your exams
Relationships: Feyre Archeron/Rhysand
Series: Feysand Holiday Fluff Fest [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552855
Kudos: 56





	Two hot cocoas, please

The winter finals are approaching, and Feyre is going crazy. The college library is usually half empty, and she can find a quiet space to set up camp when she wants to work. But with the winter finals just around the corner, it seems like all the students have suddenly discovered the existence of the library, and she hasn’t been able to find a single free spot in the entire building.

So there she is, sitting at a round table in the coffee shop across from campus, trying to block out the noise coming from the customers and the holiday music blasting through the speakers, and focusing on her computer. Not an easy task, but she’s doing the best she can with the situation.

Suddenly, a small cough resonates from beside her, and she looks up to find a guy looking at her. A guy that if she wasn’t so busy stressing out about her exams, she would find gorgeous, with his broad shoulders and dark hair and dark blue eyes enhanced by the small smile on his lips. Really, gorgeous.

But also, completely disrupting the tiny shred of calm working space she’s managed to build around herself.

“What do you want?”

Her tone comes out much harsher than she’s anticipated, and his smile falters to give space to uncertainty. She would almost feel guilty, but then she thinks about the thirty pages she still has to read before noon, and she doesn’t find the strength to care about the guy’s feelings.

“I was wondering if I could share your table? There’s no free spot, the library is completely full, and I really need to work.”

She’s tempted to say no at first. She really needs her little bubble of calm, and he could destroy everything. But there is desperation in his voice, and now that she’s looking at him for real, she can see traces of exhaustion in his face, and she feels for him, because she didn’t find a spot in the library either, and she’s not the only one going through a hard time. So she simply nods and rearranges her stuff to give him space.

The smile who spreads on his face is worth the disruption, he looks so relieved and happy that she finds herself smiling at him too. He sits in front of her, rests his cup of coffee on the table, gets a stash of small flashcards out of his shoulder bag, and starts to focus on them in silence.

Maybe this wasn’t a mistake after all, he seems quiet and focused and at least as stressed out as she is. So Feyre goes back to her computer, analyzing what she’s reading from her textbook in what she hopes are concise but useful notes.

***

The next hour goes by too quickly, because it’s almost eleven now, and even though she’s almost done, she’s getting more and more anxious as the minutes pass. Yet, it feels good to work close to someone else, as if his presence is helping her stay grounded in reality, and she’s grateful for it.

She catches herself glancing at him a few times. Because she can’t help but enjoy watching the small frown on his forehead, or the way his lips move in silence as he reads from his cards. His mannerisms almost make her smile.

“Excuse-me?” The waitress’ voice startles her, and her and the stranger look up at the same time. “I’m sorry to bother you, but neither of you have ordered anything in the last hour, and the manager has sent me to ask you if you would like anything?”

She thinks about her almost empty wallet, and shakes her head, ready to get back to her reading. But the waitress isn’t done. “Well, it’s just because… Normally, the tables are reserved for paying customers.”

“We are paying customers.” The guy answers in a sharp tone. “We both still have cups in front of us, we ordered already.”

The waitress seems more uncomfortable after his answer. “I know, it’s just… we have this one-hour policy and…”

She’s gonna have to leave. She can’t believe it, but she sighs and nods, and starts to close her textbook. But the guy moves a hand to her to stop her from closing it.

“What do you want to drink?”

“ W - What?”

“Do you want a coffee?”

She doesn’t speak for a long time, or what seems like a long time anyway, but the stranger doesn’t take his eyes away from her, waiting patiently.

“A hot cocoa would be nice,” she finally answers, and he turns to the waitress.

“Two hot cocoas, please.”

The waitress looks relieved, and goes back to the counter with a smile, leaving them alone.

Feyre wants to go back to her computer, but the rush of joy she felt as he ordered for her is still here, and she’s not ready to focus up yet. So she smiles at him and says:

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” he answers in a soft voice, and he smiles in return, as if he doesn’t want to go back to work either. “I’m Rhysand,” he says tentatively, as if not sure if she’s willing to speak to him or not.

“Feyre,” she answers, and the stay silent for another minute. “What are you studying?”

He looks down at his flashcards. “Theory of Economics throughout the last two decades. You?”

“The work of female painters during the seventeenth century.”

“You subject sounds more interesting than mine, somehow!”

She chuckles. “It’s really not. I mean, it is interesting but it’s a very hard class.” And then she adds, “I can’t wait to be done with finals.”

“Oh, hard same. How long do you still have until you’re done?”

“Four days. You?”

“Five.”

She grins. “I win.”

He looks at her with a shocked look, but she can see he’s faking and is actually amused. “I can’t believe you would gloat after I just offered you a hot cocoa!”

“You’re going to need more than one hot cocoa to stop me.”

He puts both elbows on the table and leans towards her, his voice lower, and somehow more seductive. “Is that a challenge?”

Feyre feels herself blushing, but she doesn’t back down, instead she leans towards him too, bringing her face only a few inches from him. And she waits. Waits until she sees him pass his tongue on his lips and swallow, hard. Then, when she’s satisfied, she answers. “And what if it is?”

She stares into his eyes, so dark that they look almost violet, mischief in them, and now she’s the one running her tongue slowly on her lips, she’s the one with the dry mouth.

The waitress comes back with their drinks, and they both push away from each other, sitting straight in their chair, and Feyre can feel the blush invade her cheeks, because she liked what just happened, but she feels a little ridiculous too.

But Rhys seems unfazed. He puts sugar in his cocoa, then looks back at her, and the mischief is still here.

“Well, Feyre, if you say so, I guess I’m going to have to invite you for a drink more than once, right?”

She chuckles and nods at him, feeling a giddiness that has nothing to do with the drink.

***

Before the end of the morning, their fingers are intertwined as they work in silence, and Feyre feels more ready for her winter finals than ever before.


End file.
